The Christensen's Chaos: Calm before the STORM

Well after last week's stomach flu epidemic that hit our house, we were looking forward to the weekend and resting up for a healthy week ahead. The weekend started off great, Izzy had gymnastics and was super happy. We were all happy to be normal, somewhat, it took Pat until Saturday night to feel relief. We woke up Sunday and it was gorgeous! We were so excited to go play outside and in the snow! I put Bobby down for a nap and Pat got Izzy ready to go outside and play with me. As he was getting her ready, they were talking about how nice it was that she was feeling better and how she could go play outside, her response was, "No, I not feel better daddy. I have a fever!" He took her temp and sure enough, she had a fever of 100.4. She was super sad to learn that she couldn't go outside on the gorgeous day! After her nap, we decided to risk it, even though her nose had started to run and a cough had started, and take a little walk to get some fresh air. Izzy loved it, but was a little slow at keeping up. We came inside for dinner and were hopeful that she would wake up fever free on Monday since I would be home for Martin Luther King day.

She woke up on Monday with a temp still and her cough was getting deeper. I contemplated taking her into the doctor and eventually when her temp read 101, decided to go. Boy am I glad I did. It turns out she had two days of being healthy after the stomach flu, but talk about kicking her when she was down, she managed to pick up Influenza A. The doctor told me she would likely be out of daycare all week! I had taken two days off to be with her and I got sick myself, grades were due this week, I had an Open house, and Pat was leaving Wednesday morning for a work trip! I started to panic and could feel my blood pressure rising! I was reAdy to throw in the towel, just call my boss and say I can't juggle two kids and working full time, especially when one of my kids is always sick. I am going to use all of my sick days in the month of January and not be able to go on Pat's work trip that he was awarded (way to go hubby, love you!). Have I mentioned that I have been panicking about how to get Izzy to and from preschool this past week too. Apparently preschools don't have accommodations for working parents that start work before 9am or don't have a "sitter to drop them off" as I was told. This was the week I was ready to throw in the towel because logistically with our schedules, time off/vacation days, preschool schedules, daycare costs when not attending, etc was becoming a nightmare. Until, by the grace of God, my amazing in laws reached out a hand to help me up when I needed it the most!

I text Pat while waiting in the Walgreens' drive thru for Izzy's medicine, "I am going to kill someone" because at that moment I was about to explode! I was so stressed, then they told me it would take 30 minutes for her medicine to be ready, which meant she wouldn't get it until after nap. Bobby was screaming in the back in need of a bottle and Izzy was fussing too and getting mad that Bobby wouldn't look at her. The woman at the window could tell that I was fighting back tears when I repeated back to her, "30 minutes, are you serious?!" She put the drive thru phone down and shouted something to the pharmacist and came back on and told me they could do it in 10-15 minutes! Thank goodness, but that was the longest 10-15 minutes of my life I swear. Driving around with a screaming baby, trying to hold a bottle while driving, all while having a sick toddler tell you she wants another sucker and wants to feed her brother. I sent a text to my in laws letting them know that she was sick and I didn't know how we were going to make this work with Pat traveling and semi-jokingly said does anybody want to hang out with Izzy. Patti text and offered up Paul and I about screamed as loud as I could for joy, as this news came in the midst of the 10-15 minute prescription waiting time.

Patti sent Paul with a cooler full of frozen meals for us and Paul made a stop at the Liquor Store for some Spotted Cow Beer. They know the way to our hearts! Paul/Grandpa spent all day Wednesday with Izzy so I could work and get my grades done. It was amazing! Izzy loved the fact that she got Grandpa all to herself. Patti and Paul, we can't thank you enough for rescuing is when we were in a bind. You didn't even think twice about it and dropped everything to come help us, thank you!!! I truly think I would have had a midlife crisis had you not offered to make the trip to help us! We feel so blessed to be surrounded by our amazing families and know we are so fortunate to have families that are always so willing to help each other out. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Izzy keeps telling me she is excited for grandpa and grandma to come back soon, thankfully they will be here next weekend.

The temperature outside began to drop and Izzy's temperature had been gone since Tuesday. Daycare said she could come back Thursday and Izzy said she wanted to go back. She only got to go for two days last week, so she has really missed her friends and since Christmas break, has only been there for a total of five days! (But we still get to pay for all of those days, oh the joys of daycare). As the night progressed, several of my coworkers speculated about whether we would have school today due to the extreme cold temperatures. I put Izzy to bed and received a text and call confirming that I would be off today with the kiddos. It came at the perfect time! We were in the midst of the storm and things were starting to settle down, but we all needed a day to recoup and today was that day. We didn't have to rush out of the house in the morning for daycare and work, we could eat a later breakfast and enjoy being in our pajamas all day. We could cuddle and not because we are sick for once, but because we can. I cherish days like these because when I am working all day, the mornings and evenings get crazy and we have to stick to our schedule and end up treading water until the kids are asleep and we finally sit down to breath for the day. I love that I have just one more day of work and then I get to be with the kids for the weekend and Pat will be home. I hope the weather warms up and the kids stay healthy until summer!

I am feeling thankful today, even though life has been insane lately! Family stepped in to help when Izzy was sick, Nana offered to help with preschool drop offs when needed, and a former student's mom offered to help out with preschool pick up for us next year as well. Sometimes life has you treading water, but if you remember at least you are still above water, you'll make it through, but not without family of course!